The B.C. government is funding 1,200 new before- and after-school child-care spaces in schools, including in Nanaimo, the Cowichan Valley, Campbell River and Sechelt.
The child care will be provided in repurposed space inside schools in 22 school districts.
“Before and after school can be a hectic time for parents and caregivers. By creating more child care on school grounds, we are giving more families access to convenient, high-quality child care, in places they already know and trust,” said Lisa Beare, minister of education and child care and acting minister of infrastructure. “Empowering school districts to repurpose existing child-centred spaces for before- and after-school care is another important piece of a child care system that works for families, kids and communities.”
Nanaimo-Ladysmith will get 183 new child-care spaces for school-aged children across eight schools.
The Cowichan Valley will get 75 new spaces across three schools, while Campbell River will get 30 new spaces at Georgia Park Elementary.
West Sechelt Elementary will also get 12 child-care spaces.
“Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools has benefited greatly from provincial support to grow our school-based childcare from five to 12 programs across our district and to nearly 500 spaces. Investing in before- and after-school childcare at schools helps parents and caregivers balance work and family responsibilities and creates more opportunities in our schools for children to belong, grow and thrive,” said Leanne Lee, board chair at Nanaimo Ladysmith Public School District.
The new spaces are funded through $5 million from the Ministry of Infrastructure to support renovations and $20 million from the Ministry of Education and Child Care for operating costs over the next three years.
